The other Tremaine girl
by VonGikkingen
Summary: Drusilla Tremaine is not the wicked stepsister people of Storybrooke think they know. And after successfully escaping the first curse, she now has no cursed identity to help her deal with twenty-first century, no memory of how she spent last year of her life, and no idea what the fututre might bring...
1. 1 - Fairy Godmother

No way could I have quiet night in, sitting here with Ella pretending neither of us was worried that we had no idea whether my mother was in town, and if she was, how vengeful she felt towards either of us. There just _had to_ be a knock on the door.

"I'll get it," said Ella, raising form the chair. Old habits die hard…

"You're a _Queen_. You should have people to do this for you," I said, getting up. Not sure if I was angry at the person who cast the curse and landed us here, at my mother, responsible for Ella constantly feeling like she had to do everything for me, or at the person at the door, who I was pretty sure, was a certain thief…

"Will. Whatever brings you here?" I said with my most lady-like, least sincere smile when I opened the front door only to have my suspicions confirmed.

"My lady."

I was tempted to curtsy just then, realizing that I was not angry at him after all. I was glad to see him, actually.

Ella had only one guest room at her disposal, and she found it absolutely necessary for me to stay in it. Crucial, if we were to make people forget about that wicked stepsister nonsense. But Will was reminded, often and loudly, that he was family too no matter how things ended with Anastasia, and was to stop by at least once a day to be properly fed, because we were not letting him starve.

Something that would have happened if he was left to his own devices in the woods. Some people just weren't hunters. Which, I suppose, explained the whole thief thing…

He was keeping his distance these days, letting me to get reacquainted with my family. Which just made me miss him, however ridiculous that sounded. Something about the surge of emotion I felt whenever he showed up made me feel that something must have changed between us in the last year.

"Dru…? Who is it?" asked Ella from inside the house.

"Just Will."

"Just Will that has decided someone's been antisocial for too long," he yelled from the door. The next thing I knew, Ella was standing next to me.

"That's a bad idea. It's a whole new world for her. World where everyone thinks she's a… a _villain_," she said, glancing nervously my way.

I just shrugged my shoulders. They weren't that far off, though I did feel a little insulted that everyone thought that all I ever managed to become was a wicked stepsister. I did have a life of my own. One that was not limited to a single part in a single story.

"You're just naming the reasons why she needs a drink," pointed out Will.

That got him a smile. I started to have a bad feeling about this.

"I don't need a drink," I felt forced to say.

"But you do need company. Remind me again how you spent all those years you were cursed…?" said Ella turning to me.

I said nothing. The necklace of claws around my neck said it all. After my first and last ball I did what I would have done years ago if I didn't have two sisters to protect from the influence – and murderous plans – of my mother. Went back home. To the last place that felt like home to me. Sherwood.

Leaving the life of privilege, intrigues and unsafe footwear behind, I went a little native. My only plans for last thousand Friday nights had to do with not getting eaten.

"Let's all just remember what happened to the last person who tried to force me to do something I didn't like," I said after I saw them exchange glances. Ella gave me a smile that confirmed my worst fears.

"Let's all just remember that as your Queen, I could always order you."

I gave Will my best _I'll murder you for this_ look and sighed. And went to get my coat.

"I don't feel like drinking," I said following him outside.

"Good. Because I do. And when I drink I just might fight…" he said, as if that settled anything. And I knew there was no way I was talking my way out of this one.

Bar fight, especially without someone with actual combat skills to have his back, was the last he needed. In my case though, it might help to distract me from how strange it still felt. Being in Storybrooke.

Where I was constantly meeting long-lost relatives, or, even more often, people who were unaware of how fast I went from talking to punching when someone used my full name. Or my full title. Anyone who called me anything more than Dru, really…Which was definitely not helping people forget that they spent a few decades thinking about me as someone whose only goal was to ruin _Cinderella's_ life. But in my defense, I also punched anyone who called her anything other than Ella, hating that ridiculous nickname more than she ever did. How did that failed to win me some good points I did not know.

Ella had a theory about me wearing too much leather and necklace of animal parts, making no secrets about disposing of the animals they used to belong to myself… And might have been right, since people unaware of who I was just assumed I was related to Granny.

"So how was your day?" asked Will as we walked towards the brightly lit center of town. I gave him a look.

"That bad…?"

"I managed to cross a street without getting run over by a car," I said shrugging my shoulders lightly.

This was not a good place for me. I was stuck living with Ella, pretending there is a chance I'll get used to it all eventually, and the woods were just not deep enough to get lost in properly around here. Not to mention that I had no clue how I got cursed with the rest of them, since I did such a great job escaping the first time the land filled with clouds of ominous purple haze.

However it happened the fact was that right now I was stuck. My life became filled with things I never planned on doing. Just yesterday I found myself shoe shopping with Ella, making sure she would never again wear something as insane as her glass slippers, that were, let's face it, foot mutilation waiting to happen… And of course plotting how to painfully dispose of Regina the whole time, in case it was her fault that I was here. Without a cursed identity, which robbed me of the chance to have a name that did not make me want to hurt people who used it.

"Is Ella still being…?" tried Will again. It was painfully obvious that, unlike me, he was not trained – for years – in the fine art of small talk. So I decided to help him.

"Oh yes. Making up for the fact everyone in the town has a bit too _Disney_ ideas about who I am – whatever that means."

"Not everyone," he said. Doing his best not to look at me…

"Will… Where are we going?" I asked, realizing I should have done that some minutes ago.

"Rabbit hole."

That stopped me midstride… "What? You know I gave my word _never to go there_…!"

"Oh, bloody… I didn't say _Wonderland_. I said Rabbit hole. It's a bar."

"It is?" I said, studying his face for any sign of deception. Not that he was a very good liar. "Sounds classy," I sighed and got moving again.

"You have no idea."

"How was your day?" I said, when the silence started to stretch, and I felt all the creepy noises of this place getting on my nerves.

"Uneventful," he said. Not a very good liar, as I said, but I wasn't about to start interrogating him. I knew him well enough to know that someone else will take care of that, if the local sheriff was at all competent. "Read a book," he added.

"Anything interesting…?"

"Interesting how it managed to miss all the good parts," he said. "There was this adorable theory about the King cancelling all the executions the second the Queen got distracted."

"What?"

I said that before I realized just what I was asking. And he had enough reason not to try to answer. We both knew that I always preferred if things that happened in Wonderland stayed in Wonderland. After all, that place was nothing less than a madhouse the size of a kingdom…

"Let's just say that I understand how it feels to be as far away from the _Disney_ version of yourself as possible. I don't think I even was in the _Disney_ version," he said.

"One of these days someone will have to explain to me what that word means…"

He only grinned at that and pointed at something ahead of us.

"Rabbit hole?" I said, sounded as enthusiastically as if I was heading for another ball. But I followed.

Drunk Will was more likely explain to me what the hell _Disney_ meant. Maybe even how he ended up here, heartless and depressed, which was a theme he was avoiding since we met our first day in Storybrooke. Catching each other's eyes in the crowd – me having Ella holding me in almost suffocating hug, and at the receiving end of many odd looks, he talking to a tall dark stranger that had the haunted, Wonderland-survivor look about him.

I still had hard time believing it was all only a week ago… And then I walked into strange half-lit room and had hard time believing many things, mostly how much I would prefer to be anywhere else right now, even if it meant being at a ball.

"Sit," he said, pointing towards an empty table in the corner.

Suspiciously empty, considering how full the place seemed. I did not move, giving him a look to tell him I knew he was up to something.

He knew I knew. Giving me a chesshire grin he headed for the bar, leaving me very little choice when it came to my next action. I rolled my eyes and headed for the table he indicated. At least it was pretty near an emergency exit. That always made me feel better.

I sat down and started glaring at Will, for the moment not caring who saw me and assumed that I was the wicked stepsister after all. And then I realized I wasn't alone.

"You don't look like a fairy godmother," said the stranger at my table. Well, not a stranger exactly. Ella once pointed him out to me, as the local doctor – assuming, not wrongly, that I might be spending a lot of time in his company, since my lifestyle made me kind of a collector when it came to scars.

"A fairy godmother?" I said, giving him my best _seriously?_ look, while panicking internally. _Who's been spreading the truth…?!_

"That's what Ashley is telling everyone," he said almost apologetically.

"Ella," I said distractedly. "I think of that other name as a pretty bad joke."

"There are lots of those floating around," said a new voice. And just like that another seat was taken.

"Granny?" I said, not bothering to hide my shock. She only gave me rather wolfish grin and turned her attention to her drink.

"What's happening here?" I said. Not what I meant to say, but that was how it came out. What I _meant to say_ was "I'm going to kill Will…"

But before I could, there was the Blue fairy sitting to my right. Looking pretty far from sober and not bothering to make any secrets about it holding instead of a glass a whole bottle of something called tequila.

The feeling something very strange was happening here disappeared with her. Now I just felt like I really had to wake up.

"You're the stepsister…?" she said disinterestedly. I ignored her, turning to the Doctor whose name I still had some trouble recalling.

"Not sure why you're here. He didn't tell us," he answered before I got around asking.

"And now he's late…" added Granny.

But before I could ask who – before I could, in the same breath, add something along the lines of _what the bloody hell is going on here?_ – the last seat was taken, and I no longer knew what to ask. But at least I knew who to ask.

And who to kill once I'm done with Will Scarlet.

"Jefferson?"

"Really? I expected something more like _what the bloody hell is going on here_?"

"I was getting to that," I said, as angrily as I could over my shock.

"You're here for group therapy," he said, reading my expression, and skipping denial – in order to get things moving, probably. "Because you're a bad case of having a fairy tale that had very little to do with what actually happened. And so do we."

"So does everyone," I said.

If there was one thing I was certain of in this land, this was it. Everything seemed to be getting… _lost in translation_. That's how Ella called it…

"But not everyone has a story with such an impressive body count."

_That_ made me forget how to breathe for a moment.

A part of my mind was already working on a defense. Something about me having nothing to do with that fairy's unfortunate end… But that was not what he meant and I knew it. And it took me a lot of self-control not to say "_Who told you?"_

Because I had pretty good idea…

"Whatever you are referring to?" I said when I was done counting to ten. When panicked, I went very lady-like. Years of so called education were hard to fight. Right now, I was almost grateful for that insane reflex.

"This is a safe zone," informed me the Blue Fairy conspiratorially. "We all got people killed. You wouldn't believe how many…"

"I have no idea who has been telling you stories," I started saying. And found myself unable to finish that sentence.

There was something about the silence between them, something that convinced me this was just the right group of people. People who could understand, and with their own implied crimes wouldn't feel inclined to judge me. And even though I had lifelong habit of keeping secrets, I knew that before this night was over I will have a little less of them.

Which was why Will brought me here in the first place, I understood finally.

Because he knew – he knew he couldn't understand, and he knew I needed someone who could. More than I would ever admit. Secrets were my thing, true, but they were not a good thing. That was a message years of nightmares were trying to get across to me. Maybe, just this once, I could try to listen.

"Ella doesn't know half of it," I said after a long hesitation. Feeling exhausted by that single sentence… "And she never will. I can't have her feeling like she owes me…"

"Her happy ending…?" said Granny, putting a glass of amber liquid in front of me.

"I just helped a little. More for the sake of my conscience than for her, really," I said. Pretty sure they weren't buying it.

"So what really happened?"

"Because everyone knows there are no fairy godmothers," said the Fairy at the table, for once sounding almost present.

I took a deep breath and tried to find a way to put it all in words. _Start at the beginning_, I remembered. Something that was o much easier said than done. _And go on until you come to the end_…

"It started like most stories do, actually. With someone too young and naive to know any better asking a sorcerer for advice," I said, still having a hard time believing I was actually doing this. "I didn't just want to get her safely away from mother, before she could do something… Anyway. What I asked for was a happy ending. She did deserve it. Earned it hundred times over… He told me about the ball being pretty much her only chance. And asked for nothing in return…"

That sentence found me with a glass in my hand. I took a sip that did not seem to help one bit and went on.

"But he did happen to mention a fairy that has been seen lurking in the neighborhood. One that might be able to help me. Never mentioned how people called her, of course."

"Unbelievable," said Granny disgustedly. Having the very same feelings about the subject I gave her a tiny smile and continued.

"I think she would have killed me if she didn't find the idea of someone asking her for a favor so funny. When she was done laughing she said she'll do it. For a price."

I finished my drink then, playing for time. Telling them about the price for my sister's happiness would require going back to another story that didn't make it to any book of fairytales, and I really didn't think I could get into it right now.

Not to mention the feeling that someone here already knew.

"For a… something that I would never let fall into her hands," I said in the end. "I agreed to her terms, of course. Not many other choices when she was pointing that wand of hers at me. And I went back to Rumpelstiltskin. To make a deal he wanted to make all along. I'll tell him when and where she'll be so he can take her by surprise and get her wand, and he'll make sure I won't have to pay… And he did. Ella ended to be the one paying for it."

"Well it _was_ her happy ending," said the Fairy that had no idea how lucky she was she still had all her teeth.

"Will told me you might get aggressive over that," said Jefferson, catching my arm just in time.

"Let… go…"

"She spent twenty-eight years as a nun. She's been punished enough."

I started to laugh.

I wasn't exactly sure how that happened, but I had some problems getting it under control and I wasn't alone with that problem.

"Oh that's nothing. I sparkled too… And had to make up names for fairies that refused to be named after pastel colors," said Blue, not one bit offended.

"Is that how you justify being a manipulative psychopath?"

"Let's not start that again, Mr. Let's-play-god MD …"

I poured myself another drink feeling I might end up thanking Will instead of digging him a shallow grave in the woods…


	2. 2 - The Key

It might have been better than all the previous Friday nights I spent sleeping with dagger under my pillow and crossbow held in my arms like a stuffed animal.

If I only didn't have the feeling…

The feeling that before this night was over, I will tell _that_ story. That source of most of my nightmares. The story I knew he knew, whenever he glanced my way.

"I better get flying," said Blue just after two. I gave her a worried look, because if she ever was drunk enough to try just that, it was tonight. "See you next Friday."

"Really?" I looked around in confusion.

"Oh yes," nodded Granny. "You don't really believe those were all the stories we had to tell, do you?"

I said nothing to that. After just two or three stories from what she almost fondly called her _wolf days_ I had a very good idea how my next few nightmares will look like – and what big teeth they'll have. But of course there was more. There was much more to my story too, and I knew it will take me a while before I'll feel like talking about it. That or another bottle of whiskey…

"I better get going too," said Victor, getting up unsteadily.

"Already?"

I did not like that idea one bit, and I didn't care he was pretty much the only doctor around and needed his sleep. Because I already knew what was going to happen and how little I could do to stop it.

And I was panicking…

"You know," I said, not even waiting for the door to close behind Granny, once we found ourselves alone.

No point in pretending it was a question. Of course he knew. One could hear that story, _my story_, only in that creepy place on the wrong side of a looking glass.

"I know something," he said, nodding. Any other night I would appreciate he wasn't wasting my time. Not tonight. Tonight the little golden key I was wearing on the chain around my neck felt so very heavy…

"If Duchess told you what happened, there's nothing else I can…" I said, still hoping I might end up not having this conversation. He only smiled, and I knew it was hopeless.

"You need to tell someone."

"What if you're the wrong someone?"

"Duchess didn't think I was," he said.

"And just how sane she looked the day she told you?"

Which was terrible thing to say, but hey, I got years of experience of being mean and just a single night of being able to talk about my demons. And Bluebeard was _the_ demon.

He said nothing. Only looked at me. Waiting.

"I was there. I helped her kill him. She would never manage to do it if it wasn't for me. Is that the story you heard?"

"More or less."

"Then we had nothing to…"

"Why?"

"What?" I did not get surprised often, but this was just not the kind of question I got asked. Ever.

"Why? Everyone knows the story about Bluebeard. Everyone knows what a monster he was and why Duchess killed him. And even knowing all that, it is impossible to figure out why would you get yourself involved. _You_ had nothing to fear. He had a type."

"Right. Blond and young and innocent. Tell me… have you ever met my sisters?"

That silenced him. Just long enough for me to reach for a bottle still left on the table.

"That's a lie. A very convincing one, I'll give you that. But a lie…"

"All right. You want the truth? I _was_ the wicked stepsister. I was then, anyway. I was mean, spiteful little monster, on my way to become a proper sociopath, when Bluebeard came to town. One look into those dead eyes of his and I knew just what my future will look like if I didn't change something and fast… And when he did… when he…"

I reached for the little golden key like I did so many times, frightened and confused, emerging from yet another nightmare. Just to make sure it was still here.

Just to remind myself that I locked that door.

"When he married Lenore," he said, so I didn't have to.

"Did Duchess tell you about her? She couldn't, could she?" I said, not really needing the answer. I remembered too well that look she got in her eyes whenever anyone mentioned the daughter she lost. "She was such a sweet girl. She… we used to be friends. Long ago. Before I turned into a brat. And when I heard what happened… what _he_ did… Did you know he sent her mother back a finger? Wearing…"

"A ring," said Jefferson very quietly.

So maybe he did know this story.

"Does she still have it?" I asked before I could stop myself. "In Wonderland?"

"She does… It's what's keeping her sane on the days when she can't remember if Lenore was ever real."

I had nothing to say to that. I never knew.

It's been so long since I last saw her, just before she crossed into that land of madness, escaping her memories – or so she thought. I tried to tell her it was not a good place for someone who was already half mad with grief. But in the end I couldn't stop her from putting that looking glass between us.

Believing she was doing me favor, I was certain. Believing that if she wasn't around to remind me of what happened, what we did, I might forget. I never had the heart to tell her how wrong she was…

And there was nothing I could do about it now. Now, I still had a story to tell.

"The day she got it I heard her scream… I can still remember it so clear. I think there wasn't anyone in the whole town who didn't hear it. It was… a sound of heart breaking," I said, my voice shaking with emotion.

This was a story I was never meant to tell. Trying to hurt too much. And still I tried – I had no choice, with that familiar echo in my mind. _Start at the beginning. Go on until you come to the end. Then stop_.

"You haven't answered me."

"I did… If you heard it, you'd understand. It was impossible to know someone was in that much pain and not to help. I had to do _something_. And when she told me she was going to kill him – not asking me for help, just letting me know that it will be alright, that I won't have to be scared for my sisters anymore… I couldn't let her do it on her own. I just couldn't."

He looked at me with something like admiration then, but I had the feeling it was there all along, just under the surface. And now there was no need to hide it. I was not just a story someone told him once upon a time in Wonderland anymore. Word by word I was becoming very real – or so it seemed to me. But who could really tell what was happening behind those dark eyes…?

"I followed her to Bluebeard's mansion. Don't ask me why – I knew she had magic, that she was willing to die if that was what it took to stop him, I knew there was nothing I could possibly do to help… But I _had to_ go."

"I know what happened in his house if you don't want to talk about it," he said. And didn't mean, not really.

This wasn't just therapy, and we both knew it. This was an exorcism and there were things that needed to be said to make it all a little more bearable. So I said them.

"No. You started this. You're getting the whole story. Because you have _no idea_ what happened…"

"She stabbed him in the chest, which didn't work, for obvious reason, and then, out of nowhere you showed up. Kicking the door open and looking very dangerous. That was the version I got," he said, letting me know that actually he did have some idea. "And then you got that thing," he added, looking at the key I was still holding.

Well that was a simplification if I ever heard one. I got the key off his neck, yes, but in order to do that I had to get close. Close to that monster of a man that could snap my neck like a twig. Which he almost did…

"That's the part I still have nightmares about," I said, though I had no doubt he could tell from my expression. "It was like a dream from the moment I touched it. I knew just where to go, just where to find the one room in the house that was locked. And like in a dream… I knew that no matter how fast I ran it will not be fast enough. I _knew_ he was right behind me. And when I got into that room and realized that it was never true I still felt like screaming. It was a spell, I think. It still works sometimes. When I walk alone in the night… I can still hear his footsteps," I said, dropping my eyes to that small golden key.

It looked so ordinary. Just a trinket. But it was all that protected my sanity.

"Why keep it then?" he asked me, bringing me back from the past. I blinked away the tears that were still threatening and looked at him.

"It always reminds me that I locked the door behind it all," I heard myself whisper.

"You got his heart from that room. That's what I heard – and it's all I need to know," he said as the seconds went by in silence. Offering me way out, I knew.

"Oh, don't. We both know why I'm telling _you_. You _understand_. And maybe that means you can understand what I found in that room. Why I had to make sure to lock it behind me. So the madness wouldn't get out…"

That did it. Not the memory, just the words that were stuck in my mind for years. Never spoken out loud, never, to anyone. _Can't let the madness get out_…

After all those years of putting them off, I found tears running down my face, remembering…

_all that blood… _

He didn't tell me it was all right and he didn't promise he won't let anything happen to me. Just held me. Just listened to my whispers, to the memories that shaped my darkest dreams. He was just there as I became the scared girl I was that night.

"I want to go home," I said when the tears stopped blurring my vision. Knowing how childish I sounded, but really too exhausted to care.

He took me by the hand and led me out into the streets that seemed confusing even in broad daylight.

We didn't talk for a very long time. Just walked in silence that made me think about all the other little details of that story, too dark to be ever called a fairytale.

About his heart, not just dark but completely black and so cold to touch. About Duchess, looking so very calm when she told me to turn away. Not to look. Not to look while she cut off his head. _To make sure_, she said. And I believed her. She wasn't doing any of it out of revenge or madness. Just to make sure. To prevent anyone ever knowing the same pain she knew and could never put into words.

"Did she ever get better? The Duchess?" I said when I couldn't stand the silence any longer.

"The last I saw her she looked… sane. If that means better."

"I suppose that's the best one can hope for after surviving what she survived," I said, with echo of that terrible, heartbreaking scream in my head.

"And what about what you survived?"

"Me? Oh, but this wasn't a story about the only girl ever to enter that room and leave it again. This is a story about a mother… The kind I never had."

I surprised myself then, feeling another tear running down my face after I thought I cried them all. But this felt different. _This_ had nothing to do with horror of that night – this was about the pain of the knowledge I lived with my whole life.

"I kept thinking about it, all the way home. What my mother would do if it was me. If someone sent her my finger wearing a wedding ring, as a memento. I thought about it and… before the dawn I could admit it to myself. I never had a mother. I had someone who considered me a chess piece. Just for that knowledge, it was worth it. All of it. It gave me what I would never have otherwise."

"What?"

"Control over my life. The strength to take it," I said very quietly. But I did manage a very poor excuse for a smile.

"That night…" I continued. The story felt incomplete without that last little detail. "When I got home that night I did two things – I burned all my clothes…" I said, not needing to add anything about the blood on them, "and I cleaned up my room."

He gave me a confused look.

"I know how that sounds, but it was a big deal. I've never done that. And I mean _never_. In my life. When Ella brought me breakfast that morning I thought I gave her a heart attack… But I felt like _doing something_. Changing something. Does that make sense?"

"The day I got my daughter back… let's just say I burned a lot of hats," he said in answer. "It made sense at the moment."

"Exactly…"

The silence came back, but this time it felt almost peaceful. There was no sound of footsteps in the night, no monster that still followed me after all the years.

"When my mother got the news about what happened to Bluebeard, she looked… _disappointed_," I found myself saying after a time. Only after I heard those words said out loud, I knew how long I needed to do this. And how much it was part of this nightmarish fairytale for me. "That was the moment I realized what she planned for Ella. And the only way I could protect her was if she thought I was her masterpiece – the manipulative, heartless, power-hungry daughter she could be proud of."

And then he asked the last question I expected to hear.

"How old were you?"

"Sixteen. Just barely," I added, since I could tell he knew that wasn't the whole truth.

"Dru…"

"Don't feel sorry for me. I punch people who feel sorry for me. I would do it all again," I said. A bit too harshly.

"I don't doubt that for a moment."

"And don't call me a hero…!" I added just as seriously, because I could see that was exactly what he was about to do.

That got me a smile. And the night didn't feel half as dark anymore.

But it might have something to do with how close to morning it was getting… Ella will kill me for disappearing for a whole night like this, I just knew it. She was probably thinking about organizing s search party by now, certain that I ran off into the woods again.

"I believe that is your sister watching us from the window," he whispered to me when we finally got near the house I was looking for.

I glanced up towards the window he indicated with a very bad feeling he might be right. And I did my best to do something about my unsteady walk.

"That does look like her. Could you try to… you know… look like less of a tall dark stranger."

"That will be the least of your problems. You smell like a distillery."

"Right. That can't be very _Disney_," I sighed, already mentally preparing for the conversation I was going to have with Ella.

Not trying to hide his amusement he said "You have no idea what that means, do you?"

And since it appeared I was done with keeping secrets, I was not surprised to find myself shaking my head. Vigorously.


	3. 3 - Rumpelstiltskin

They stopped talking and start paying very close attention to their rebelling, food throwing little princess the second I walked into the kitchen. Reaction I could only hope had nothing to do with me having an epic case of bad hair day…

"Morning," I mumbled.

"You look… different," said Ella. In tone that made me think this was not her way of pointing it out.

"You've seen me looking worse," I said, yawning.

"You do, you know?" added Thomas. In tone just as strange.

I looked from one to the other and sighed. "Right. What were you two talking about when I walked in?"

"Nothing," they said. Both at the same time, and before I was even done asking.

"Ella…?"

"It's just that… You used to do this thing. Every night since the curse. And these last few days you just… stopped," she said in the end. Not meeting my eyes.

"What thing?"

"Oh you know. When you sleep you… you sometimes…"

"I… talk," I said, knowing well that the appropriate word would be _scream_.

They both gave me very enthusiastic nods, and I decided to just take their word for it. I didn't have enough energy for anything else, anyway, and they looked a bit too pleased to be making this up. I was not feeling particularly conversational, not to mention I still needed at least two cups of coffee to be able to speak in full sentences, so I just shrugged and laid my head on the table.

Of course I wasn't about to tell them that all the changes that so pleased them were caused by a crazy scientist, elderly werewolf, manipulative Fairy and not-strictly-speaking-sane Hatter. Because I couldn't. For reasons that I didn't fully understand, they kept using the words _fight club_…

"Any plans for today?" asked my sister after waiting what she considered appropriate amount of time after I started sipping my coffee – so barely seconds. Probably to prevent herself from commenting on what a progress I was making, even as I sat here, sleepy and incommunicative, _not_ prepared to face twenty-first century today.

Having my coffee withheld until I answered, I found myself telling her that I did. Something that sounded suspiciously like a job interview amongst them. Missing the times when I could just wander through the woods living of roots and berries and the occasional squirrel stew, I still decided to give this twenty-first century idea about women working for a living a try. Mostly because I knew how pissed off my mother would be if she ever found out – after all the speeches she gave me, about how all I need is a rich husband, preferably with a title to go with his wealth…

And the worst thing? That was just one thing of many. That's been happening to me a lot lately.

Yesterday it was poker night at the convent Blue dragged me to, day before that I was babysitting, what was really just a codeword for watching _Labyrinth_ with Grace. After the years during which I had only the occasional mome rath for company, it was… interesting to be around people again. So interesting I was starting to think about my future in this town, even though it seemed to be constantly in some kind of danger.

At least there was no ball yet…

"Where are you off to?" asked Ella, when I got up. "I thought you have some time before…"

"I do. But…" I said, that simple word heavy with meaning as I gestured towards my hair. She smiled and let me take Alexandra from her arms.

"Aunt Dru looks like a witch, doesn't she?" I said, as the little girl reached for my curls with her chubby hands. "Which is not a good look in the town looking for a witch that cursed it. So she'll better get some magical help, and fast."

"Oh, you mean…"

"Exactly," I nodded.

Thomas only looked at us, confused. "She used to have this magic ribbon for when she needed to look _presentable_," explained Ella. "She wore it on the ball too… Though I haven't seen it in years. Where do you think it is?"

"The pawnshop, probably," said Thomas before I could. "If it's magic, that is."

"Oh it was. And pretty strong one. It had to be," I grinned.

Then I pulled a hood over the mess on my head and headed for the door praying that he was right and I would find it in the pawnshop. And reminding myself for most of the way that its former owner was no longer around. Which didn't help much. It was just so hard to imagine that that particular nightmare of my homeland was gone for good.

That there was no more helpful advice he would give me, and I had to follow, no matter how certain I was that I was only becoming more and more involved in his plans as I did. And the worst thing about it was that I couldn't really hate him. Not because I knew how much more there was to his story, just as there was to mine – but because I would never escape the first curse if he didn't warn me. Now that there was no chance ever to find out why he did it, I found myself lost in the memory of that moment. In the dark, underground corridor, with a cell at the end…

Knowing what I knew now, about his death, his _sacrifice_, I was filled with the strangest feeling of… well, of loss, as I reached the door of his shop full of curiosities.

"Anyone here?" I asked, not hoping for an answer, and just barged in.

And got a feeling of _déjà vu_ that almost knocked me off my feet…

I've never been here before. I was in Storybrooke barely two weeks and I did my best to spend them staying away from everything magical. I only glanced at this place on my walks. And yet – _I knew it_.

_I saw it before. _

"Can I help…? Drusilla?"

I turned towards the source of the voice, too lost in the confusion of memories to make my usual comment about what I think about that name and what I did to people who used it. And had another shock, seeing who called me by it.

"Belle? What are you doing here?"

It took me one look at her face to know that _that_ was a long story. Which I had no doubt about. The last time I saw her she was a quiet, bookish girl, engaged to nobleman by the name of Gaston, who just happened to be a perfect example of why local upper classes _really_ should do something about their genepool.

She spent next few minutes trying to answer my question. It was quite a tale. It left me speechless, and when she finally got to asking me what brought me here I wasn't too quick to answer, seeing how trivial my problem was. But in the end I took off my hood and just showed her. It was guaranteed way to win her sympathy…

"I _really_ need to find that ribbon," I said after telling her about it.

"Oh… Well… I don't think you should be afraid people will take you for a witch. You look more like… Merida," she said, almost smiling.

"Is that a _Disney _thing? It sounded like _Disney_ thing."

"If you weren't here for the first curse, how do you know about _Disney_?" she asked, as she led the way to the back room.

"Hatter told me. Long story… moral of which is, that I can get much more out of people if they're drunk. Or I'm drunk. Preferably both."

We started searching. And talking, which was a new thing, since I now recalled I knew her back when I was… my or less wicked.

I found myself liking her. Not sure if it was her real self or her Storybrooke-self, and not caring. We managed to kill almost an hour searching.

And then I made one tiny mistake…

"How did you know there is a safe behind that painting?" she asked with undisguised shock in her voice.

"Oh… I…"

I turned to her, considering. And realizing I better just tell her.

"I saw this place before. That's… another long story," I said. And had pretty good idea how she'll take it, knowing her history with Rumplestiltskin now.

But not telling it seemed not to be one of my options anymore.

I used to be so good at keeping secrets… I kept a whole life, everything about me, hidden from my mother for _years_. And now? I wasn't in this town for two weeks yet, and I felt like there was no chance I'll have any secret left by the end of this month.

And still I started telling her.

"Do you know about the contracts he used to make? Of course you do… And that my sister signed one too?"

She nodded. I took a deep breath and hoped I'll be able to get through this fast.

"The night she found out just what she promised him for his help, she told me. And I did the only thing I could do. I got a fast horse and headed for Rumple's castle. I was…"

"You were going to kill him," Belle finished for me.

There was no judgment in her voice, so I knew she understood. It wasn't about what I was going to do – it was just that I _wasn't going to _let him get my niece. Even if it meant I had to kill him.

"Many tried, you know that. But… no one got as close to succeeding as I did. I had a special weapon. That's a different story, what you need to know is that if he didn't give me a good enough reason he would die that night. And he knew that too. He knew I was coming. Didn't try to run. He waited for me. Telling me right away he _can_ give me a reason not to kill him. He can show me the future – the way he could see the future… He can show me how Ella's future will look if I let him live," I said, feeling cold as that memory came back to me. "And then, he took my hand and shared with me a vision. He showed me this place. This shop… On the night Ella broke in to steal back her contract. He showed me that she would succeed. He showed the day my niece was born… and the deal he made that day. With Emma Swan." Which was his end game all along, I didn't have to add.

"And you believed him?" asked Belle, clearly surprised.

"I did. I can't explain why… But I felt it _was_ what's going to happen one day. It seemed all… predestined."

I moved away from the safe, continuing my search. But after a moment spent in silence I felt it necessary to add, "It was reason. It shouldn't have been good enough, and I knew it. He was still the Dark One. He still caused so much pain – and I had the chance to prevent him from causing any more. But… he didn't lie to me. And something about that future I saw… It gave me the feeling that he had a very good reason for doing it all. Just as good as my reasons to kick open his door and put a knife to his neck."

"He did," she said very quietly. Her voice had pain in it, the kind I never knew, and there was really nothing I could say to her then, so I didn't.

Just kept searching through cabinets and boxes, though I no longer cared about the state of my hair.

"And he paid me back for it anyway," I said later. "For sparing his life."

"He did?"

"He told me how to escape the first curse. Which had probably as much to do with not wanting me around to mess with his plans as anything else, but… I suppose that now I'll never know for sure. All I know is that he drove his jailors mad, asking them to send me a message. In the end they did. I came to his prison and he told me about the curse. Everything _I _had to fear from it. Others would get cursed lives, you see, and be miserable – because there would be some part of them, deep down, unchanged, and yearning for the lives they've lost. And so will I, but… the curse would remake me, worse than others. It would make me something I never was, no matter what the world believed."

"The wicked stepsister," she said, catching my meaning.

"I would be everything my mother wanted me to be. And after the curse broke, he said, those memories, all twenty-eight years of them… they just might drive me mad."

She had nothing to say to that, so she just hugged me. People did that a lot lately, and I'm not saying I was getting used to it, but there were moments when I could almost admit it was not unbearable.

"I'm glad that didn't happen," she smiled for just an instant.

I smiled back and went back to searching in the dusty boxes. Until I heard my name being called. _Not_ my full name, which I appreciated.

"Was it green? Your ribbon…"

"Yes. Somebody decided it was my color," I said disgustedly. I never looked good in green. But maybe this once I could, I realized, as I took from her the ribbon. _The_ ribbon.

"Dru…?" she said after I hid it in my pocket. "How did you? Escape the first curse."

"Oh… I went to the Dark forest. It wasn't far enough to be entirely safe, but it was so full of unicorns and gryphs and dragons – things that _were_ magic – that the forest itself wasn't affected by magic as much. The purple mist still came, of course. Came and went. But didn't take me…"

"You were in the Dark forest?" she said, her eyes widening with surprise. "For twenty-eight years?"

"Well… yes. Not after the time started moving again. I went home to Sherwood then," I said, shrugging my shoulders. Seeing that that detail made it no less impressive.

"Thank you. For the ribbon. I'll be back. To help you sort out through all this," I promised. "But now I have to run."

"You do?"

"Oh yes. I'm late, I'm late…"

"For a very important date?" she asked, amused.

"You can say that," I said and headed for the door. Because, as I realized looking at my clock, I _really_ was.


	4. 4 - Pirate

"Wanna see some magic?" I asked Grace catching her just getting off the bus. So I wasn't that late after all.

"What kind of magic…?" she narrowed her eyes distrustfully. Passing my test. If only everyone had this attitude to it, none of us would be here, breathing polluted air and driving around in metal boxes that looked like they might withstand a werewolf attack. But then she did come to it the hard way.

Without adding unnecessary details, I tied my hair back, watching the expression of wonder lighting up her face. The tangled mess of my hair being turned into perfect ringlets could have that effect.

"That was cool," she admitted.

"It was, wasn't it?" I grinned and took her hand. "So tell me – why am I picking you up today?"

"Because Will was busy," she said. Looking anywhere but at me.

"I see."

I didn't, but I didn't push it. Which was a good move as it turned out, because by the time we reached the end of the street I heard her say, "Papa is laying low. The sheriff is back in town…"

"I heard something about that," I said. And I did. Though I was having a feeling that someone left out some interesting details.

"And Captain Hook too," she added. Which sounded vaguely familiar. Like someone mother warned me about…

"Who?"

"The man in black watching you from across the road."

I looked in the direction she indicated and indeed found a man standing there. Missing a hand and suffering from a very unoriginal nickname. And looking at me very strangely.

_Very_ strangely. There were several types and degrees of strange looks I was used to, but this was something new.

"You didn't recognize him. That's interesting."

"Is it?" I said, busy looking for an escape route.

"That means you must have met him last year. Because you don't remember," she explained, when she caught my confused expression.

"How did you figure that out…?"

"Eliminated the impossible," she shrugged her shoulders.

"Wait just a moment. Isn't that one of the things I'm not supposed to let you do?"

"No. You're just supposed to keep me from the creepy lady's ice cream truck and get me home as quickly as you can.," she said with mischievous smile, "I'm definitely not forbidden to talk to pirates, you know."

"I don't think that's a good idea," I said. In truth I was really glad that this so-called captain was keeping his distance.

"Aren't you curious what were you doing the past year?"

I said nothing, because I couldn't very well deny that. I was beyond curious. But I was also pretty certain that whatever I was up to was not suitable for the years of twelve-year-old. Too bad I underestimated how much she wanted to know, because before I could stop her she headed for the man in black, dragging me behind.

"Tremaine," said Hook, proving to me beyond any doubt that we did meet at some point. Not even trying to use my title.

"Stranger," I said because that was really the only appropriate way of addressing him. "So let's hear it. What have I done?"

"Ah, yes, you don't remember."

"The question is how do you," pointed out Grace.

"I escaped the curse," he said in a way of explanation and gave me yet another strange look. Stranger even. Not used to seeing me around children, probably – and he had a point there. One would have to be mad… oh, well.

"Escaped the curse how?" I asked. "Did I help?"

"How would you help?" asked Grace. Starting to suspect me from being a witch, I was sure. Luckily the pirate replied before that train of thought left the station. Or so I hoped.

"You offered to, yes," he said. "If I helped you. Which I failed to do," he said.

Well that did sound like me, I had to admit. Making deals with people that so obviously could not be trusted. Since there was this voice in my head reminding me that they always worked out for me in the past…

Right. Now just figure out what kind of help could I possibly want from a pirate.

"You wanted passage on my ship," he explained, seeing the question in my eyes.

And things stopped making sense from there. Traveling into faraway places was something I never needed any help with. Unless…

"Where?"

"Arendelle."

Of course. The one place that just had to be separated from out land by ocean.

"Why would I want to go there?"

"I have no idea. To tell the truth, my lady, I had the feeling your name was the only truth you told me that day. That and the portal-maker whose help you could procure for me."

"A portal-maker?" said Grace, her eyes growing big with surprise.

"You better eliminate the impossible before jumping to conclusions," I told her.

"Oh… you meant the white rabbit."

I shrugged my shoulders. That was the most logical explanation to this part of the mystery the last year of my life appeared to be. Which made me think I was pretty desperate at that point, because contacting that furry piece of magic would require going through my sister, something I was opposed to on principle.

"I wish I could help more, but we really only known each other for a short time. Too short," said the captain.

Only appropriate reaction to that was to stare at him, since I had no idea if I did or didn't hear an innuendo there. Though I had the feeling that there was nothing he couldn't turn into one. And with a minor present I of course couldn't say the things I had at the tip of my tongue.

"You looked shocked to see her here," reminded Grace. "Why?"

"I understood she had a way to escape the curse. I… had the impression you would need a very good reason not to do so this time," he told me.

"I would," I nodded, because that was true enough.

I thanked him for telling me, doing my best to hide how the information he gave did more to confuse me than to explain things. He got the hint and got moving before my inquisitive companion could ask any further questions.

"What do you think it means?" she said, clearly not intending to stop asking just because we were one pirate shorter at the moment. There was still me after all. Mystery if ever there was one…

"I can't make educated guess from that," I pointed out, since the pirate gave us pretty much nothing.

"I don't expect that._ Educated guess_, i mean. You told me all anyone ever tried to teach you was how to look pretty in dress," she said, grinning.

I gave her a look, but in the end I said.

"I used to like to travel… maybe I missed it."

She gave me a look telling me, that that won't do, as far as explanations go.

"And why would you be secretive about it?"

Because that was my thing. But I couldn't tell her that. I couldn't even properly explain to her how I wasn't a princess, but only a pretty low-level countess, no matter how big were the countries my sisters owned. Children had this kind of logic that was very hard to deal with. And I could see she was employing it right now, trying to think of an explanation.

Too late I realized that her silence gave my own mind space to wander – and of course I too ended up thinking about it. About that mysterious year missing from my memory. Which I've done before, true, but usually in terms of what I'll do to the person responsible.

"I know a shortcut through the woods. We better go that way," she said, leading me from the main road.

"Why…?"

"Because you have to hurry back to catch the pirate and ask him the rest. The things he wouldn't say in from of me…" she explained, when I only gave her look of confusion.

"Why?" I said again.

"Don't you want to know?"

I didn't know how to answer that simple question, and it had nothing to do with the fact, that we entered the wood and my instincts overwrote everything, making me watch every shadow and listen to every tiniest sound.

"You don't…" she realized. "Why?"

"Because I remember leaving the dark forest after the time started moving again. Where I went. What I did… What kind of people I was around. Thieves," I explained. "So I'm not all that surprised that I moved onto pirates."

Too late I realized who I was talking to. If I wasn't considered dangerously cool by now, that definitely changed after that little fact.

So I resigned myself to being questioned. And I was…

"So how did you kill that bear?" she asked after a while.

"What bear? Oh," I smiled when she pointed to my necklace. "I don't think I should be telling you…"

But I did, of course. There was that very obvious reason not to share stories of my so-called adventures with people of any age, but all things considered, this one was pretty harmless. She probably deduced most of it anyway. She didn't look one bit surprised that I knew how to use a sword, even though as she pointed out all anyone ever bothered to give me lessons in were things that might help me to become a trophy wife – the kind wearing a crown, preferably.

Before I knew it, we were at the house near the edge of town.

"That really is a shortcut," I had to admit.

"Are you taking me home tomorrow?" she asked me, when we found ourselves almost at our destination. Proving that kids could survive my company without getting thoroughly traumatized… "So you can tell me what the pirate said."

"We'll see," I said, hurrying her towards the door.

I said my goodbyes, feeling like I just did something serious about my wicked stepsister status, and hurried back to town.

Where I found myself unsurprised finding a pirate just where I left him. Of course. Because there just had to be more to his story…

And I didn't want to know what mischief I was up to during an entire year in a land suddenly full of people once again. I really didn't. I found myself walking towards him anyway, because if there was an explanation of the new set of scars I now had running down my ribs I couldn't just walk away from it.

"I've got somewhere to be. Walk with me," I said before he could start explaining what he left out and why.

He gave me almost sincere bow and did just that.

"I said I didn't know why you wanted to go to Arendelle and that's the truth. But there is something that might help you understand."

"Let's hear it then."

"You were one of the very few people that could. Go anywhere outside of the enchanted forest that is… There was a side effect to whatever Regina did to bring us all back. There were barriers dividing the lands. For anyone who was part of the original curse."

"That's interesting…" I said.

But when I eliminated the impossible there was one scary thought I couldn't shake. "Do you think… did I give you the impression I was," I said, hesitating, "following orders?"

He considered it, and gave me the worst possible answer there was. "Maybe. Why? Did you remember something?"

"No. Deduced something, and I'm really hoping I'm wrong," I sighed. But deep down I knew I wasn't.

If the travel between the realms, complicated to begin with, suddenly had new set of problems… I doubted there were many people they could ask to cross the lands and look for information. Which was something of a hobby for me for some time. I used to find any excuse to use those seven mile boots of mine.

"Thank you," I said to the captain as we reached my destination.

Not adding that what I was really thanking him for was letting me know that nothing serious changed last year.

I was still the doing whatever self-destructive came my way. This time I was just doing it to help people. Hopefully. Though there was still the scary option that Regina played the family card and made me help her. If what I saw her doing in this town – mainly hanging out with the royal family a lot – was also true in the Enchanted forest, who knew what they might have talked me into, joining forces.

But that was the one thing I really shouldn't be thinking about on such a nice day… Besides, with the savior back in town, it was just a matter of time before I had my memories back. Good thing I had places to go and people to see to distract me from that thought, because it seemed a lot scarier today.

"Drusilla…" called to me familiar voice as I entered the school.

A distraction, I smiled wickedly. Perfect.

"It's Dru. Not Drusilla, not Lady Tremaine – as you might know that was my sociopath of a mother – and don't even think about pointing out the whole countess thing. Just Dru. Anything else makes me… _hostile_. "

"I see," said Frederick taken aback a little.

"Good. Now where are the problem kids that needed pacifying?"


	5. 5 - Flying monkeys

"Victor…?" I said. And that was the only thing I said for a very long time.

And it was a good thing – that he was too busy telling me about the monster he just had in his emergency room to let me get in a word. I might have told him just what good news that flying monkey was… And that would take forever to explain. So I kept it to myself. He really didn't need to know that I spent last two days worrying that I was so homesick I might be hallucinating monsters in local excuse for a forest.

"I'll be there," I said, not arguing about the place where he wanted to meet, since it was clear from his tone, that he needed a drink.

Getting off the phone I too late realized that I forgot about one tiny, crucial detail. I was at work. And that meant that I had now dozen teenagers staring at me with very interested expressions.

No way I could leave before doing something about it…

"Right. Which of you think you can fight…?" I asked. Couple of arms raised into the air. Mostly lost boys, unsurprisingly. I sighed.

"Any of you has weapons? Of course you do… Right. There's no point in pretending I'm here as a teacher. My instructions were pretty much to sit here and look dangerous in order to… scare you straight," I repeated expression Frederick used, but never translated to me. "But considering what's been going on lately, I think we might start spending our time a little more… constructively."

"Does this mean you're going to teach us how to fight?" asked one of the teenage nightmares I've been seeing in detention pretty much since day one.

"Yes. Starting tomorrow," I added, putting my jacket on and opening the door to let them out.

"Fight what?" one of the kids asked.

I considered not telling them for a moment. But then, the only reason I was here was that they were bunch of hyperactive teenagers who needed someone appropriately scary in room with them for a few hours every day, to help them rethink their attitude. This might actually help with that. Not that I wasn't making progress with my previous strategy…

"Flying monkeys," I said.

The silence that followed was deafening.

"Try to get swords. Knives and daggers will do too. I can _try_ to teach you some basics of archery, but I'm telling you right now, I suck at it," I said, leaving them in the room.

Which was not exactly responsible, but I had no doubt that if they won't spread the news, there was a dwarf that definitely will.

Not feeling one bit guilty I exited the school and headed for the Rabbit Hole. Leaving alone Victor, a man of science, after he just saw someone turn into a winged monstrosity, would be much more irresponsible right now. And we were in enough trouble without local Doctor going through another crisis of faith right now.

"You heard?" said Granny, when she caught up with me on the street. So it wasn't just me who felt like keeping an eye on him…

"He just called me."

"Wicked Witch," she said, shaking her head, though I could tell she wasn't _that_ surprised.

She, unlike me, spent a number of years in this land, so of course she couldn't be surprised easily. Living through crisis after crisis does that. She was telling me about this giant just last Friday on our group therapy.

"Is there any chance she got swept by the curse accidentally? Right. Why don't we forget I asked that," I said, facing her amused expression.

"Wonder why she took our memory…"

"Well, that's obvious, isn't it?" I said, as we reached the door.

"What's obvious?" asked Blue, seeing us come in.

"Why we don't have memory of last year," I said. "She's up to something and wants us all preoccupied with what we were doing in the Enchanted forest instead of ganging up on her. Not to mention someone probably knows something about defeating her."

"Like throwing some water at her you mean…?" said Victor feebly. He did _not_ look good. I wonder what he would do if he had to face something really serious. Like one of the things I used to share my living space with, for instance.

I gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze and sat down.

"That's assuming she cast the curse," said Blue, still considering the witch. "So far we only know she's in town. We might be getting attacked by flying monkeys because she doesn't like it here."

"Of course she cast the curse," said Jefferson getting in and heading straight for the bar. "Who else?"

"Regina," reminded Granny in a tone that was pretty close to growl.

I turned to her, just making sure I heard that right. She seemed pretty serious. And though I hated to be the one, someone better set the record straight here. But I got up and moved away from her, in case she _really_ didn't like what I had to say.

"She didn't do it," I said at the same time Jefferson did.

The room went quiet and I got that by now familiar feeling that I was missing some backstory here. Just what I needed – a reminder that I don't get these people. Not half as well as I did dragons and mantichores.

"Of all the people I would never expect to defend her," started Blue, looking beyond shocked. _Not_ talking to me.

"He's not defending her… Really?" I said, looking around and finding only incomprehension. And pissed off looking bartender suddenly keeping a bottle of whiskey just out of my reach, disliking what I was saying.

"She _couldn't_ cast that curse. How come none of you knows how this works…?"

"She'd need heart of the thing she loves most," said Jefferson, giving the explanation I was about to supply.

"Oh right," nodded Blue, looking slightly embarrassed. "Forgot about that."

I sighed, reaching over the bar and taking my bottle back. And once I had it, I found myself unable to pour myself a drink. I knew it won't help one bit. The mysteries will still be here once I finished it. And so will the flying monkeys.

"So what did we do to her? Because we really must have pissed her off," I said, not really hoping for an answer. And not even imagining I could get the kind of accusing look I just got from Blue.

"Right. Because I'm known for causing this kind of trouble."

"You then…?" she turned to Hatter. "You were in Oz."

"Why do I have the feeling that it might have been you?" I turned to the fairy. And my feeling worsened still, because she looked like someone who had the same thought and wasn't entirely certain that this wasn't the case. Of course her first reaction was to start blaming anyone in her line of sight.

"Oh please. I bet it was the queen," said Granny.

"Which one? Oh, what? It's big land, loads of royals," I said shrugging my shoulders. "I'm related to two queens myself."

"Two?" said Victor with obvious confusion. It seemed it was that kind of day for him, so I spared him details of my family tree, with the feeling I was saving him a headache.

"Long story. Concerning the place we don't talk about…"

"How did we get from flying monkeys to white rabbits?" said Granny.

"Because none of you is here because of the flying moneys," said familiar voice from shadowy corner.

Will. Looking like he was having a crisis of his own. As usually, seeing him like this I found myself torn between the need to take his glass away before he drunk himself into unconsciousness and giving him a hug, promising it will get better.

I solved it like every time and did nothing, because there was nothing I _could_ do. He once did me the favor of getting me the help of people who understood just how I felt, and I knew I couldn't be that kind of person to him, being so far spared any major heartbreak. So I just kept my mouth shut, until the temptation to comfort him passed.

"Whatever's happening someone else is taking care of it and the odds are we won't get involved at any point, unless something winged attacks us out of boredom," he continued, ignoring how unhappy we all felt about someone spelling the truth out for us. And that one of us was werewolf...

And the, shocking us all even more, Blue grinned. "He's right."

"He is?" I said, having hard time believing what I was hearing.

"We're not here to solve anything. If this was that kind of meeting we wouldn't be in a bar. Someone just gave us an excuse to come here and we took it because in this damn town you never know which day can be your last…"

"You would know," said Victor, tactful as ever.

"I would," she agreed, raising her glass. Not letting the fact she was just reminded of the time she died make things get weird. "To the Wicked Witch," she said loudly.

"Is she serious…?"

"For giving us an excuse to get drunk in the middle of the week," she explained. And was refilling her glass before anyone could react.

And she was right. Five minutes later the witch, the monkeys, and the fact we were almost sure who cursed us were forgotten.

Well… almost.

"So she came from the enchanted forest?" I asked.

"That's what I heard," said Jefferson, letting me know that the information came from a good source, and he might get offended if I dismissed it.

"Well that explains it," I said, nodding to myself.

"Explains what?" he asked. And now I knew how many drinks it took him to forget that he understood how magic worked at least as well as I did.

"How she knew how to cast the dark curse. Because only two people really did – and with one of them being dead now…" I said, hoping that my ability to deduce was not too affected by the state I was in.

"Oh yes… she must have known it from him. Which would mean she studied magic from him at some point…" he said. Making me almost believe that it made a kind of sense.

"That can't be good," I realized. Thought of someone else with that particular kind of dark powers, in the same town, and judging by the way her minions were behaving, definitely pissed… "Do you think we should tell someone?"

"No… If we could figure it out, I'm certain someone in authority will be able to…"

"Are you saying it only because you're scared of the sheriff?" I said, getting the impression from how fast he was to answer.

"I'm not scared of her…"

"Of course you're not," grinned Will. Too drunk to know he was really pushing his luck here. And remembering he was family and I would not like to spend my evening identifying his body, I knew I had to say something.

"Will someone tell me what happened…?"

Someone did.

"Snow White kicked you out of a window," I repeated once the story was over.

"Is that what bothers you about it…?" said Blue, really trying to suppress laughter when she saw the look on my face.

"Of course it is," said Will before I could explain. "None of you gets worried about what normal people would. You came here because as it turns out we now live in town terrorized by green-skinned lady in a pointy hat, but none of you is really worried. You have no concept of fear. When you leave this bar, will you keep looking over your shoulder, looking out for flying monkeys?"

"No," replied Victor immediately.

"There you go…"

"But that's because he's not planning on leaving," I explained to the Knave. Who, despite being a very wise drunk today, was still missing some details.

"You think he's right…?" asked Blue after the conversation moved on a little. I just nodded. What else was there to do? I couldn't pretend to be afraid of flying monkeys, not when everyone here knew who I was and what I was capable of.

When I left, walking just a little unsteadily, what I was worried about was not what might attack me on the way. I was worried about how to live in a world where Will Scarlet was making brilliant observations and I wasn't the only person who took the Wicked witch to be nothing more than excuse for a few drinks…


	6. 6 - Stepsister

"Oh, Dru… I didn't expect you."

I was too preoccupied trying to untangle my shoelaces to get a good look on her face, but her tone clearly indicated, that this was not _I did not expect you before midnight_ kind of private joke.

"What…?" I said. "I was just getting Will away from the convent. That's not a whole night kind of thing."

"Oh… Is that what you were doing?" she said. Sounding just a little distrustfully. So it was here. Our long overdue talk about my drinking problem. Or, even better, one about the company I kept.

"Ella… What is this about?"

"Would you like some tea? I think I should make some tea…"

I left the obvious comment about tea to myself and followed her to the kitchen. And started waiting, with the patience of a hunter I used to be, before I became the best armed teacher in local school.

"You are going to have to tell me at some point, you know…" I said as the time passed, and she kept her silence.

"Milk…?"

"You know how I take my tea," I said.

"That's right. I do. And I know how you hate high heels. And… Lady Tremaine," she said, not meeting my eyes. "And how are some days much worse than others for you."

"Was today suppose to be one of them?" I asked, genuinely curious. This land did something to my sense of time. I wasn't even sure how old I was… but hey, as long as I was sure that I was elder to the hyperactive, hormone-filled psycho's in my charge, it wasn't such a big deal.

Though, maybe it was, I realized, seeing the look on her face.

"You really don't know do you?" she said, putting her teacup down.

I shook my head. I really didn't. Today just didn't feel any different, if I didn't count the fact that Will's thing for fairies interfered with evening I planned to spent sneaking through the woods, thinking about good old times…

"Did I ever tell you what the curse did to me?" she said hesitantly.

"Made your pregnancy last twenty-eight years, you mean?" I asked. That actually got me a smile. Something I did _not_ expect at this point, with her being all serious.

"I mean what I… what _Ashley_, thought about why you were both gone."

"Oh…"

I never even considered that. Of course I _knew_ there was some kind of explanation, but I was too preoccupied trying to learn things about this world to spend my time looking for it too hard. There were too many other mysteries here – and I did such a great job ignoring those, that I just kept that attitude about most other things…

"I thought Anastasia was in Europe. Having the time of her life and spending it _not_ calling home… She'd send a postcard every now and then. To me of all people…" she smiled. "I still have them somewhere. But you… I had a cursed memories of you calling me every couple of days. From Africa…"

"Where now?"

"It's a place… The kind of place your father would have liked. Lots of big game…" she explained. Big game… probably not dragons, I realized. And thinking about that was of course easier than thinking about just what day was it today.

"It's the anniversary, isn't it…?" I barely whispered as she covered my suddenly cold hand with hers.

"I know how much you miss him around this time."

"It's not that. It wasn't that for a very long time, actually. I can't remember what his face looked like. That was the first thing that faded. But… I remembered how silent he could go sometimes, and how he always wore furs, no matter how often she pointed out how inappropriate it was in polite society…" I said, not surprised that I did not have that heavy, painful feeling crushing my heart. I was getting much better at dealing with these things. "I remember this… giant pelt of a white bear from somewhere beyond Arendelle. He told me it was a loan – until I got one of my own."

"Don't take this the wrong way, but I am having trouble understanding how you turned out so good with parents so…"

"Bloodthirsty?" I said, since she clearly had some trouble with that word. "That's another story… The thing is, what made me sad on this day all these years had very little to do with my father being dead. It always was about… how I would never know how things would have gone if he lived just a little longer. If I wasn't conditioned to be a lady from such a young age. I would be this…"

"Wild thing…" she smiled at me. "Always running through the woods, always chasing after something."

"Fine, so maybe I turned out to be my father's daughter after all," I said smiling myself. And I really couldn't remember why this used to be one of the bad days for me.

Days like the one when I last saw Duchess, or learned Anastasia left for that land of madness too, days like the one I found myself walking home still dripping blood and holding a golden key in my hand so hard I thought the imprint will last forever – _those_ were still the bad ones. Ones that made me want to stay in bed and feel sorry for myself all day long.

This one, though, somehow got better when I wasn't looking. Which was pretty strange considering that not even joined efforts of my so called support group could not get it out of me. This wasn't something to tell them. This was… a family thing.

"You know… I miss your father sometimes too. He was really nice to us, considering."

"Considering…?" she said, raising her eyebrows in question.

"That we were both such brats," I said. She would not put it this way, before or after finding out how I was all over arranging her happily ever after. I was much less forgiving about the things of past, especially if the case was mine.

"You weren't so bad…" she said.

"Very diplomatic. You would be a great queen, if you ever got to spend more than few months in your kingdom, before some curse spirited you away into another world…"

We went quiet after that. The kind of silence I liked best… not tense, not threatening there will be another revelation about dark deeds of the past the second it ended, not one that is obviously going to end in violence.

"So… Will was trying to sneak into convent?" she said after some time.

"He has this thing for fairies. I'm not really trying to understand, since from where I stand they're just really scary… You know that in this world they would be probably considered a group of mercenaries – and no one can tell what their agenda is. I mean _no one_. I asked Blue once… she just laughed."

Or something like it. _Going Joker again_ was how Victor described it, just before starting to consider putting her on psych ward for observation.

Ella just shook her head and her expression turned thoughtful for a moment. "Did he look drunk? Will…?"

"Oh no – he doesn't have to be drunk to act like…"

"That's perfect," she said, cutting me off. And her eyes looked suspiciously shiny.

"Why?" I asked, having a very bad suspicion about this.

"That means he can come babysitting," she said. And took her phone out of her pocket. Nothing I could do to stop her.

Still, I had to try.

"You know the only other person that lets him do that is called the _Mad_ Hatter, right?"

"I believe that's the word you used to described me once."

"Those shoes were _insane_, Ella," I said, still standing by that initial assessment after all the years.

Next thing I knew, we were waiting for Will to show up. To be responsible for a toddler for an evening – the same evening when he gave me the definite proof he could act like one…

"Why did you call him?" I asked, well aware that I could not change her mind at this point.

"Because we're going to the Rabbit Hole."

I paled at that, thinking up ways how I'll get the bartender to keep to himself how I normally spent my evenings in his establishment. All I could do was hope that he considered me scary enough… oh, who I was kidding? The sheriff of Nottingham turned around at the door when he saw me last Friday. And I wasn't even trying to look scary then…

"That… might not be your worst idea," I admitted out loud.

"I really wish you didn't compare everything to my choice of footwear."

Before I could come up with witty reply, there was a knock on the door. I put on my leather jacket and got ready to run before Will could decide this was a little too much responsibility for him after all.

"Ladies…" he said, with that smile he probably thought everyone finds irresistible. Ella started to give him instructions and I was not surprised to find that his smile did not survive that – he looked pretty close to a panic attack by the time we left.

"We're going to Rabbit Hole just because it's the closest, right? Nothing to do with me spending too much time there and not giving you any details…?" I said walking down the street next to her.

"Of course not," she said. With a smile that made it impossible to tell whether she was serious.

"Because I'm behaving. I really am," I said. Not sure if I myself was buying it.

Well, it was not as if I remembered _everything_ that went down on Fridays. After the clock struck twelve things became all blurry… not to mention that once I lost a shoe, too…

"I would be lying if I said I wasn't curious. I mean – I can see it's helping. Whatever _it_ is…" she said, not bothering to hide her curiosity.

"Oh we're just… talking. The kind of talking one can't really do without a few drinks," I felt required to add.

"That's what I thought," she nodded. Meaning it. I studied her expression, trying to figure out what was the problem if my drinking wasn't.

I was still studying it minutes after we reached the bar.

"The regular?" asked one of the waitresses. Wisely not making any comment about my missing my usual drinking buddies.

I nodded in answer and went back to staring at Ella.

"Why are we here?" I asked in the end.

"So I can get drunk. It might help me feel better about being way too supportive about your bad habits."

"You can never be too supportive about my bad habits. I have so many…" I smiled. Though I knew that was so not the reason she dragged me out tonight. "I know you don't mind my sad days. Or the drinking. Or spending too much time keeping eye on Will," I started to eliminate, counting it down on my fingers.

"It's how you don't spend your time."

I stared at her for a while before admitting defeat. "No idea what you mean…"

"You really don't do you? Let me just start by saying that it's amazing to watch you not spending all your time with wild animals…"

"_But_…?" I said, after I swallowed the obvious werewolf comment some part of me wanted to make.

"But… You're not really… oh, how do I put it…"

And just like that I knew. To my credit I only laughed for about a minute.

"Ella, you're my sister, and I love you, but if I find out you made me a dating profile I'll murder you… slowly," I said, still trying to catch my breath after that outburst.

"I didn't… yet," she said, obviously fighting laughter herself.

"Good. Because… oh, I should have told you this before. What do you know about the people I've been meeting for group therapy?" I asked.

A question that could be so very easily misinterpreted, as I realized almost immediately by the change in her expression.

"Let me just rephrase that. One of them is _the_ most manipulative Fairy there're is. And she thinks I should start looking for happy ending yesterday… As if _looking _helps."

„It doesn't hurt," she pointed out.

"Right. And it might work for most people, but… I'm a different case."

"Are you?"

I knew that the only way to get this through to her was to show her. So I got up. Abruptly.

Three people jumped over the bar for cover, dozen more ran for the door and the bartender would be calling the sheriff's office by now, I was certain, if he only didn't faint.

"Not even armed or doing threatening motions."

"So it will be a little tougher to…"

"Do you feel like you owe me?" I asked outright, feeling that that was what it boiled down to. No matter how well I kept that secret, she always had some suspicions about how conveniently that Fairy appeared just when she needed her. Maybe it was my fault, promising her things will get better just before leaving for the palace that night…

"A little. I feel… that if the situations were reversed, you wouldn't be talking to me, just got Tinkerbelle on my case…"

"What has Tinkerbelle to do with anything?" I said, seriously confused by that.

"Oh, she knows this spell…"

When she was done explaining I was really glad we lived in a world where pixie dust was impossible to get. She was right, though. If things were reversed, that would be exactly what I would have done. Which made me feel just as manipulative as Blue for a moment.

And then a distraction arrived.

"Will called me five times in last half hour. About dealing with kids. _The really tiny kind_. What's going on…?" said Jefferson, sitting down by our table and reaching for my untouched drink.

"And good evening to you too," I said taking it right back.

"What did the poor princess do to be punished by spending time with Will Scarlet?" he asked Ella. Who was too shocked by the sight of his scar to react.

"He was sneaking into the convent. We had to give him something to keep him occupied," I answered for her. "What are you doing here? It's the middle of the week…"

"I could ask you the same thing. And _I_ don't have class to teach tomorrow."

I gave him a look and waved the waitress over. This was turning into one of those evenings after all…

"It's my fault," said Ella. "I needed to get her to familiar environment, so she'll let her defenses down and I can talk to her about… stuff…"

"And now that we did," I started, knowing I was not going to get out of this so easily. It was worth a shot, though.

"Maybe we skip Tinkerbelle. But really, Dru, you should think about it, at least…"

"Think about what?" asked Jefferson, though I could tell he had a pretty good idea what this was about. Was I not the only person that was being threatened with Tinkerbelle…? That was almost reassuring thought.

"She wants me to start _looking_…"

"For a happy ending? Looking doesn't help."

"I _know_. I told her…" I grinned turning to Ella with _see, it's not just me_ expression.

"Cynics," said Ella shaking her head in disappointed. "You know with talk like that you're just asking for it…"

"For what? Tinkerbelle sneak-attacking us with pixie dust," I started laughing.

"Oh, you'll get a happy ending, you'll see."

"Sure she will," said Hatter, joining the opposition. "You just better hope it doesn't involve her owning a kingdom…"

"Or pair of uncomfortable shoes…" I added.

"You have a whole list, don't you?" said Ella.

"Of things I can't handle? You bet I do. Not that I'm telling you – it might find its way to certain Fairy."

Turned out I was only to suffer comments like that for another half hour. She told me what she wanted and was satisfied with that – not to mention she had hard time forgetting who she left in charge at home. So she gave me a hug and disappeared long before midnight and I was left with the kind of thoughts I was just not well adjusted to have.

"She's not really going to get Tinkerbelle on your case," reassured me Hatter.

"I know that. It's just that… She really cares about this. Way more than I do. It's not going to end well…" I sighed, seeing no charming prince in my future – or at least not one that would not make me want to start running in the opposite direction.

"She's still going to hope it will. That's her job. Nothing you can do about it."

I sighed. Was it so easy to read my intention to run off into the woods and become forgotten again…?

"It's not her _job_."

"And arranging she meets the prince wasn't yours."

"You don't really think she's going to try to arrange something, are you?" I asked, getting really worried.

He only gave me a mysterious smile and got up, obviously planning to leave without answering me. Tonight I really wasn't in the mood for this. I got my jacket and ran after him.

"You think she will don't you?"

"I think she'll wait until we're back home. If I were you I would consider it good news, since last time it took… Actually I don't even know what really happened the last time. Someone mentioned Peter Pan…"

"You're _not_ changing the subject. How do I stop her?"

"Stop her from what?"

"Wasting her energy fighting a lost battle…" I said, since I clearly had to spell it out for him. He actually laughed at that.

"You're not. Fighting lost battles is a family thing with you, isn't it? Fighting them – and _winning_ them…"

That little observation left me speechless. Because he was right.

"Oh no. I'm going to end up happy…"

"It won't be that bad."

"Of course it will. And it better not involve true love, because that thing is a magnet for opposition. Makes you a target for every evil thing in the neighborhood…" I said, getting a headache. "Oh this is so not good…"

"Right. Let's get you home before you faint."

Which is how things went. I was incapable of resisting. A bit too preoccupied with being scared of the future, which is something I never did – not even when I was five and being promised my future will involve hunting things twice my size and armed with magic. But tonight it seemed, my mind decided I was going to make up for the lost time.

And I did. Until I got home… The one place where I just couldn't stay worried. Not even with a thief sleeping on the couch and glass slippers someone put on my night table, with the message simply saying _Soon_.

Because home was the place where people made you mad. And you didn't care…


	7. 7 - Witchfight

"She said _what_?"

I was putting on my jacket and exiting the house by the way of the second floor window before the person on the other side could confirm that there will be a witchfight tonight.

And when I thought that I spent the first week after Ella forced the phone on me by saying _it's making that noise again_, or some variation thereof… It took me surprisingly short amount of time to learn to appreciate the noisy thing. It was certainly faster than getting messages around using birds.

"I'm on my way," I said.

A bit of an understatement. I was at Granny's seconds after Regina left, looking depressed, and still disbelieving.

"And she had no idea they were sisters?" I asked Granny, just continuing our previous conversation, when I found her standing behind the counter and pouring herself a drink.

"She looked like she didn't. Doesn't change the most important thing…" she told me.

"What?"

"I was right," she said. Her wolfish grin looked anything but amused as she did.

I rolled my eyes.

"Did she said anything about why she took our memories?" I said, sitting down.

"No. She said what she wanted, though," she said. And then repeated witches threats. That sounded a bit too vague for my liking.

Almost made me wished for good old times when villains weren't trying to be all mysterious and… Oh, who was I kidding? One usually found out what they were really after all along, once they were ripping it out of one's chest.

"I hate villains," I sighed.

"Well, hopefully we will have one less to hate by sunset," said Granny, not sounding too optimistically about it.

"Doubt it. If she just wanted to kill her she would have done it. There would be no need to curse us all," said Blue, joining us.

I studied her closely, trying to figure out what seemed so strange about her. Besides the fact that I didn't have to explain to her how magic worked today. She looked…

"Sober," she told me, giving me a look. "Just came from a funeral."

"That was today…? Wait… who shows up and starts threatening people just after a funeral. That's just… Wicked," I had to admit.

"I'm starting to think she'll be a real problem," nodded Blue thoughtfully.

"You are?" I really couldn't do this without letting some sarcasm into my tone. Not that she noticed.

"Regina looked worried."

Now to that I really had nothing to say. Too busy trying to convince myself that it was just shock of finding out about a previously unknown relative. I really didn't like to think about Regina having doubts about her ability to use magic to cause mayhem. Because ig there was one thing that could make me worried, this would be it...

"So what did I miss…?"

We all turned to the door, finding Jefferson looking incredibly pleased. Which made me realize that it was high time for me to start asking questions. Because _that_ was not a normal reaction to the fact that there was going to be a showdown between two people who could use magic to tear this town to shreds.

But just as I was about to start asking I found I couldn't.

"Couldn't get a babysitter…?" said Granny regarding him very disapprovingly when she noticed Grace.

"Why hello there," said Blue before anyone could react. And just like that, that little problem was solved.

"Oh you can't be serious. You know she likes kids…" I said as he sat down next to me. Keeping my voice down. For now.

"Of course I know. Everyone knows. The Dark Curse can be traced to her liking kids enough to hand them magic beans…" he answered. "Now don't you think that if she still has some stashed somewhere, it will be better if they ended up with someone who knows how dangerous portal travel can be…?"

"That's just…" _devious._ I really wanted to say that. _That_ would be an appropriate word for that scheme.

But he did have a point. Which was the only thing that kept me from interfering.

"You better not be taking her to the witchfight," said Granny.

"Of course I'm not. Speaking of… anyone made a bet yet…?"

"Oh, you can't be…"

But I didn't even finish that. He _was_ serious. I looked around, making sure no one was paying us any attention and just said it. "What did she do to you?"

"Want a whole list?"

"Just tell me."

So he did.

Sometime during that story I turned pale. Then white. Then Granny started looking at me like she wanted to call me an ambulance.

Which wasn't such a bad idea, since I didn't feel this close to fainting since mother forced me to wear that murderously tight corset.

"Dru… If you're going to tell me that it's someone your fault Regina is a heartless monster that drove me mad…" he said, no longer able to ignore what was going on in front of him. I just shook my head, having a really hard time finding words.

"No. I'm going to tell you a story. Just… show me your hands first."

"What?"

I just caught hold of them, as I explained that I wanted to be sure he wasn't holding anything that might be used as a weapon…

"Whatever you think you did, I'm not going to hurt you," he said, thoroughly confused, but not trying to escape my grip. And I really didn't know how to start explaining it. But then I remembered to… _start at the beginning_.

Something my uncle Henry used to say.

"It is my fault. And I don't mean, it's my fault that I never tried to slip something poisonous into her tea, even though I had a hundred opportunities."

"You did?" asked Granny, getting confused too.

"Yes. I…"

"You're some kind of distant cousin of hers," said Jefferson with calmness that I found unbearable right now. "Oh don't look so shocked. All the aristocrats are related. _Everyone knows that_…"

"Stop trying to make me feel better about it and just listen," I said. My nails were leaving marks on his skin, but I didn't think I could do anything about that. I had pretty hard time just breathing. "Henry would never even be in Wonderland if it wasn't for me."

"What?"

"I was warned about Queen of Hearts planning something. I could have warned them. I _should have_. But mother was working on some new scheme and I had to do something about it and by the time I got to Regina's castle it was too late. Don't even think about telling me it's not my fault. It _is_…" I said. "She only asked you for help because… I didn't tell her that I could take her to Wonderland."

"Oh…" Finally he looked at me as if he understood. Except he didn't seem to be anywhere mad enough. "That doesn't change things, you know… I still can't wait for that witchfight…"

"Did you hear what I just said?"

"I did."

I let go of him, since it became pretty clear that I was in no danger. Not that that thought prevented me from descending into depression no amount of alcohol could fix. Because this was wrong… So very wrong. And I couldn't help being mad that he wasn't.

"I had a looking glass the Duchess gave me. Just in case I felt like breaking my word and going to visit her," I said, trying one last time to make him see. "If I just told her… if I let her use it, _none of it would have happened_."

"You did…?" he asked. Sounding mildly interested instead of angry.

"Nothing I can say will make you…" I realized.

"It's in the past," he smiled. Actually smiled. I really didn't know how to react to that. "And you know what's in the future…"

"You can't just change the subject to the witchfight and act like…" I said, getting a little mad myself.

"So the King of Hearts was your uncle?" interrupted Granny before I could get too loud about it.

I turned to her, wanting to tell her, it was a good try but it won't work.

"Oh, we're not keeping that a secret anymore?" said Blue, picking up on that, and rejoining the grownups for a moment.

"I never told you to keep it a secret… Actually, I never told you. How do you know?"

"I played poker with you," she said. Probably thinking that was an explanation, since she went right back to ignoring the confused looks we were giving her.

"You kept winning, didn't you?" Jefferson said. "Being related to Queen of Hearts can do that. She did hate to lose…"

"I'm not related to the Queen. My father was Henry's cousin… And stop trying to change the subject…!"

"Right," said Granny. "We were talking about the witchfight…"

Just like that, I was overruled.

And it was all forgotten… One of the proper villainous things I did back in the day, and they could just dismiss it so easily. Not because they had hard time imagining me doing something that ruined lives – because they had hard time imagining me doing it on purpose. And these were the people who believed me when I told them about the lion with black mane that attacked me in the Dark forest. And the scar I gave him.

"So we're just going to ignore I ruined your life?" I said, unable to keep silent.

"Exactly. Because if we were to overanalyze things, I'm pretty sure we would find out that I did the same for you… I _was_ working for a man that tried to steal your sister's firstborn," he reminded. "All stories are like that."

"Sooner or later everyone steps on the wrong butterfly. It's a mess. The best you can do is try to enjoy it," said Granny.

"Are you all _really_ so excited about that fight tonight…?" I said, looking from face to face. Finding the answer.

And these bloodthirsty people were my friends…

I couldn't have chosen better.

"Fine. Let's talk about the witches – but _no one_ is making bets," I said, giving up.

"We're not?" said Grace, sounding way too disappointed. If I wasn't getting slightly faint about what she might have overheard from our previous conversation, I would point out how disquieting that statement was.

"I know, I know, she's spending too much time with Will."

"No kidding…"

And next thing I knew, the sunset was almost here and we were heading for the crossroad in front of library. Loosing Grace and Blue somewhere along the way, because we might have been bad in our mild, non-villanous way, but we weren't into child-endangerment – and finding Ruby was joining us. Inappropriately to the situation we were laughing and generally not getting into the spirit of things. Because, let's face it, there was nothing to fear for any of us – the worst that could happen had already happened to each of us.

"I'm sorry. For starting the chain of events that ended up getting you kicked out of a window… by a princess…" I whispered when we found our place in the crowd. As far away from sheriff and her parents as was possible, which meant that we had the worst view imaginable.

"Still not mad at you."

I just sighed and said nothing, because that was when Regina showed up and I really didn't want to miss her one-liner.


	8. 8 - Year to remember

It ran through me, overloading my mind with images and emotions and…

I dropped my sword and looked around. Not wasting my time asking – it was pretty obvious that it wasn't just me. Everyone remembered.

"I think we're done for today," I said to the group of hyperactive teenagers standing around with confused expressions. And weapons.

I knew someone should explain to them what was happening and why – and if I was to start listing reasons why that someone should not be me, we would be here all day…

"Where are you going?" asked one of them.

"Where you think you're going without telling us how was your last year…?" rephrased another, grinning and putting herself between me and the door. I gave her my best devious smile and disarmed her in three seconds.

"It was… eventful," I said, turning at them before I ran out.

"You lost me a bet, you know," stopped me familiar voice before I managed to get out in the open.

"What did I tell you about making bets?" I said turning to her. Her expression was entirely lacking any guilt about that and looked… disappointed.

"What is it?"

"I was sure we met last year," sighed Grace and started walking with me.

"Of course we didn't. I was antisocial before I came here, remember?" I said, taking her by the hand. Not really sure where we were going, but needing the exercise.

With all the memories overflowing my mind I felt more than a little restless.

"So how _was_ your year?" I asked her.

"You first. Did you have adventures…?"

"If you want to call them that…"

There was no way I was telling her. I was only working part time and still living in my sister's guest room –I could not afford to pay her the years of therapy she'll need if I did.

"And…? There's something else, isn't there?" She was studying me pretty closely and I didn't think I could lie convincingly enough.

"Will… I finally made him tell me how he lost his heart," I said quietly. And since then I wished nothing more than to forget about it – it being yet another story when I was the villain. They would never even know about Wonderland if I didn't tell Anastasia about how portals to that place worked… He would never even met her if it wasn't for me. No matter how I looked at it, I ruined his life.

"And you think it's your fault? Papa is right – you do that a lot…"

I didn't answer. What I did a lot was ending up telling the wrong thing to the wrong people and making a mess of things.

"I bet you spent your year saving lives…" she said. Trying to cheer me up, which left me with no other option that to put on a smile and pretend it worked.

"What did we say about betting…?"

Before she could say anything to that, my phone started making that unholy noise again. "Tremaine here…" I said, taking the call. Glad for the distraction just now.

"Did you find a happy ending?" she asked me after I hung up, making me almost drop the thing.

"A happy ending? Me?"

"Yes, _you_. Everyone knows you're not really a wicked stepsister. And that makes you…"

"The eldest of three sisters. The first one to fail," I said, stopping her before she could drown me in optimism. I didn't mean to be mean, but if there was a way to let her know that not everything ended with fireworks and happily ever after, there wasn't a better way than to tell her about my life.

"I don't think any of you will be stories about someone failing. Not in the end. You're all different stories," she explained to me. And I listened, because I better understand her delusions before I could show her how wrong they were. "Ella was rewarded for her suffering. And Anastasia,… I think she still might be able to redeem herself. And then there's you."

"Yes…?" I said, finding I was holding my breath.

"You're a fighter. You won't let some fairytale just happen to you – you'll go and take it. Kill the dragon and save the prince," she grinned.

And it was almost scary how close she got, though I was never a big fan of princes, as I pointed out immediately.

"That was just an example. Maybe you kissed a frog…"

"And maybe I didn't – but thank you for that mental image all the same," I said, having hard time suppressing a smile as we walked towards Granny's.

And got attack-hugged by a werewolf after taking just one step in.

"Red… hey… I can't breathe…"

"Sorry. I missed you."

"You saw me yesterday," I grinned, though that wasn't entirely true.

Yesterday Ruby brought me my coffee. Two months ago Red was patrolling the monster infested woods with me. Having a bit of a bromance, as they called it around here.

"So you were definitely working for the good guys," Grace said as we took our seats. Pretty determined about getting the truth out of me, which made me suspect that there was bet after all. "Anything else you want to tell me…?"

"There was a dragon," I admitted. "No prince, though…"

"Oh," she said, sounding slightly disappointed. "Anything else? How did you get those scars…? Was that the dragon?"

"Your turn," I told her. "You lived in a castle for a year. Was there a prince? A frog perhaps…?"

"How do you know I lived in a castle?" she replied, looking shocked, though it was something that was easily deduced. The woods were full of monsters and anyone who could took refuge on the castel grounds, since the royal family did their usual heroic thing and focused on protecting... everyone pretty much. Not realizing how chaotic things will get thanks to that lack of foresight.

"Saw you," I said, getting us back on track. "And yes, there is an explanation for why you didn't see me. I had my sneaky shoes on."

"Oh, I hated when you wore those," said Ruby, bringing our tea. And ignoring that the place was getting rather full and they could use her help, she sat right down by our table.

"Were they magic?"

"Whatever made you think that…?" I asked. She only pointed to the ribbon in my hair and patiently waited for something in a way of an explanation. "No. Just sneaky. My other shoes were though… or boots, rather."

"And you're calling me obsessed with footwear," said Ella, just arriving and taking up another place. I smiled at her, since that did not really require a reply.

I was starting to have the feeling that we might need a bigger table.

"Boots," said Grace. Leaving no doubt in my mind, that she knew that fairytale.

"Made by elvish shoemaker. Allowing me to travel great distances in a single step," I said. And went quiet after that, because I did not feel like telling her that I got them by way of Will Scarlet, and nothing about how that happened was exactly legal.

"So you had magical shoes. And you could visit any realm you wanted, unlike the rest of us. And you still haven't found a prince…"

"I wasn't _looking_ for a prince," I told her, without much hope that it will stop her for long. She really wanted to get to the bottom of this, I could tell.

"What were you looking for?" said Ella, joining the interrogation. That didn't take long… "Because you _were_ disappearing a lot. I was starting to think there might be some prince involved too."

"No prince," I repeated. Again. This was already getting pretty exhausting.

"So…? Some Baron then…? Maybe a Duke?" joined in Ruby.

"A Queen, if you need to know," I said. And saying that I didn't enjoy their shocked expressions right then would be lying. "I was helping Regina gather intelligence on her sister. Made about four trips to Oz last year. Got grazed by a dragon in the process."

"Really…?" asked Ella, clearly shocked. Which made me realize my sister still haven't fully understood how sneaky I could be when I wanted.

She was probably buying my explanations of why I was disappearing from my bedroom all those nights when we were teenagers – just to walk through the woods to clear my head. Which I did, in a way. I also managed to clear the woods a little… There were never any bandits threatening travelers around our hometown.

"A dragon," repeated Ruby.

"Don't worry. He survived the meeting," I smiled. Wickedly.

So maybe that wasn't entirely true. Now I wished I haven't treated the poor beast so badly. That dragon might have been the best thing that happened to me last year.

"Ladies," said Hatter arriving to our table. I bit down a reply, since he wasn't _that_ late, and I wasn't about to revert to my old ways just because I had my memories back.

"She fought a dragon," announced Grace. It sounded halfway between praise and accusation.

"Don't let her tell you stories. She could barely walk after it was done with her," he informed. I rolled my eyes.

"I got myself back to the castle, didn't I?"

"Am I the only one that hasn't met you last year?" said Grace, frowning.

"I told you – I was sneaking. We only met because I needed some…"

"Serious medical help?"

"Stitches," I finished. "It wasn't that bad…"

Not really true and I was almost glad Will wasn't here to repeat the expression he used when he found me collapsed at the gate of the castle. _Bloody bloodbath_. That morning I put on white shirt – that evening, it was painted red, like roses in Cora's garden.

"You're welcome," said Jefferson, seeing I was dying to change the subject. I gave him a grateful smile and focused on my tea for a while.

The conversation quickly turned to others and their suddenly reclaimed memory. And I couldn't help looking at the door. Waiting, more patiently than I did before, now that I remembered how much he deserved my patience.

"He'll show up," surprised me Ella, when she registered my looks.

"Are you just guessing, so I'll tell you who I'm waiting for…?"

"I know exactly who you're waiting for. And he won't stay away forever. He probably needs some alone time – you should understand that," she said, covering my hand with hers, and giving me one of those kind, smiles she did so well.

"I do," I whispered.

And so I waited. Speaking when spoken to, but mostly staying submerged in my memories of that day when everything changed between me and the thief I deep down always blamed for stealing my sister away. Until I got almost killed by a dragon…

He found me bleeding heavily and too weak to make even that single step that could get me to safety. And he saved my life. I woke up today thinking of Will Scarlet as that one relative we always knew is going to end up behind bars. And now, with sun still up, I had him suddenly redefined into a hero who saved my miserable life even though I spend most of that missing year making snarky remarks about his drinking problem.

I remembered how he held my hand while Jefferson worked on my wounds. Keeping my mind occupied the only way he could – telling me a story he always kept to himself, no matter how I pleaded or threatened. Story about his lost heart…

"I can't watch you…"

"What?" I said, returning to the room after the trip into the past I was taking.

"Go find him. I'll keep an eye on Grace," said Ella, as Jefferson got me to stand up and put his long coat around my shoulders.

"That's not necessary," I tried to protest. "Really."

"Find who?" said Grace. "A prince…?"

"A Knave," I said before I was dragged towards the door. Having not the slightest doubt that she'll have a frog for me to kiss by the time we get back.

"You think you were your usual charming self around him since Storybrooke. You weren't," he assured me as we got onto the street. "Deep down you must have known."

"That we had a bromance going on in the enchanted forest…?" I said, finding that I couldn't turn it into a joke no matter how much I wanted to.

"_We_ had a bromance back in the enchanted forest," he informed me, smiling. "What you and Will had was more of a… bond. You two were –_ are_ – family."

I nodded, remembering how Ella and I used to just say that the thief was our brother-in-law, so we didn't end up all tangled up in explanations of how things really were. By the end though, that's what it felt like. Like I had a brother. A depressed mess of a younger brother who needed someone to keep an eye on him and his self-destructive tendencies. And I did my best to do just that.

Not being alone in it was something I was glad to remember again…

"Have I ever thanked you…?" I said, turning to Jefferson.

"For making sure you won't bleed to death or for making sure Will won't go after the dragon that nearly made you an organ donor?" he replied.

"Both."

"Time enough to do that later. Now we have a Knave to track down."

"Like good old times, isn't it?" I grinned.

And my grin grew wider still when I saw the former evil Queen walking down the street. Accompanied by her son and…

"No way," I said looking after them.

"Was that…?"

"Locksley," I said. Saying it out loud didn't make it any more believable though. "How did she have the time to pick up a boyfriend while fighting the Wicked Witch…?"

"Multitasking?" suggested Jefferson.

"Well… good for her," I said. Before I remembered who I was talking to.

"Truth be told, I couldn't care less… Just don't say…"

"That's a _progress_," I said. Because I just had to. No way I could be grown up about it, today of all days. "And… I think I know where he is," I realized stopping with my eyes raised to the clock tower, still damaged since the last incident.

"You do? How…?"

"Eliminated the impossible. He's in the library, reading Lewis Carroll and getting drunk," I said, speeding up.

"I hate that book," said Jefferson.

"Tell me about it. I'm not even in it…!"

"You never were in Wonderland. Were you?" he regarded me curiously.

"Well… _I_ wasn't. But my money were. Financing the resistance," I explained. "Oh don't look so surprised. Of course I was all for getting Cora off the throne. She was a bloody monster. And a relative. Funny how many of those I have."

And with that I opened the door of the library, finding one of my less beastly relatives sitting with his back to a bookshelf and looking more than a little heartbroken. I exchanged looks with Hatter, and without a word, we headed to him, each one sitting down on one side of him. I took the book from his unresisting hands and waited for some kind of reaction.

"You remember," he said after what felt like eternity. His voice resonated in the emptiness of the library.

"Of course I remember how much you hated this thing," I gestured towards the book.

"You know," he smiled at me, "if I had my heart back in my chest, you would be getting a hug by now."

"I know," I said. But that was all I said. The part of me that would start trying to convince him to go home and do just that was no longer there.

No need to use force on him. He would do it, in his own time. And who knew, Grace might be right, and this fairytale still might have a happy ending, I thought putting the book down and helping one of its characters back to his feet.

"Where are we going?" he finally managed to ask as we got him to the door.

"Granny's. We're that unoriginal now," said Jefferson, shaking his head, disappointed in us. Remembering the places we used to meet up, plotting against the depressed Knave, I would guess. Not that reading him got any easier with my memories back.

"That might not be the best idea, now that people remember."

"Don't worry. I'll protect you," I laughed and dragged him behind me.

As it turned out, I ended up doing just that, on more than one occasion that evening. Much like myself, he had a really busy year…


	9. 9 - Make it Work

"Don't even think about it. I have band of armed teenagers and I'm not afraid to use them," I told Archie, when I saw him casually walking my way. Too casually. And I just knew he was about to give me a free psychiatric advice no one asked him for.

"I didn't mean to," he started apologetically, remembering who he was talking to.

"Yes you did. So what's the diagnosis?" I sighed. Because if I got rid of him before he told me, he would just come back some other time.

"I was just going to remark on your pattern of behavior in last few weeks."

"Aggressive yet not quite self-destructive," I forced a smile. "You're not the first person who's calling it a progress, if you have to know…"

"_But_," added Archie in tone that made me remember that I actually _could_ get my lost boys to teach him a lesson about giving free advice. Might help a lot of people that way – making him realize that he really needed a new hobby.

"But _what_?"

"You do realize what the difference is, don't you? In the enchanted forest you had something to fight for, even if the fight wasn't yours. Here, you're just taking it one day at the time. Not thinking about the future. Not making plans…" he said with that well meaning tone that only made me want to punch him in the face.

All the more for being right about it.

"So? It's good for me."

"Is it?" he said. I gave him a look.

"Of course. The fact I don't have to make plans means there is nothing evil is making them for me. That's a _good_ thing," I tried to explain.

His expression turned very confused. Taking advantage of it I ran before he could overanalyze _that_.

"Sorry I'm late, I've been attacked with psychological advice," I said walking into the bar. "We definitely have to put a bell on him…"

"No. We're not making any sudden movements today," said Victor not even managing to raise his head from the surface of the table where he was resting it. He looked pretty okay considering he refused to leave the hospital for four days because no one was sure when he'll have to deliver a member of royal family – and he spent those days running only on caffeine and nervous energy.

"Just go home," said Blue in tone that told me this was not the first time she was making this suggestion.

"You look like you could sleep for a week," I added my opinion.

"I remember very little about what actually happened," he admitted. I didn't even try to hide my grin at that, since I was pretty sure he wasn't able to focus on objects too far away from him. I exchanged looks with Blue and just like that, this Friday was officially cancelled.

"I'll get him home if you'll promise me you'll stay out of trouble."

"Trouble? Blue, you're talking to a lady," I said, scandalized.

"Of course I am. Just go to that royal thing and then straight home. And try not to lose a shoe along the way," she said in her best serious tone.

"Not going to the royal thing. There is no mystery about how they'll name him and we all know that… If there are two people who can appreciate a nice, normal name like, say, Neal, it's definitely _Snow White_ and _Prince Charming_," I grinned.

"You're not going home either, are you?" said Victor giving me a knowing look. That was ruined by the fact I was standing two meters to the left of the place he was aiming it at.

"No I'm not," I said calmly. He was going to misread this no matter what I did, so I just let him. He was not looking like someone who could be hold responsible for his comments right now.

"See you next week," I said, opening doors for them and watching them disappearing in the streets of darkening town.

And then I headed for the woods.

"What are you doing here?" was the greeting I got from Jefferson when I knocked on his door.

"What do you think?"

I slipped in before he could decide he wasn't in the mood for me tonight. Not that there was much of a chance of that happening, now that we had our memories back. Because that little detail changed everything…

"Dru, come on, it's Friday night. You should be out there…"

"Doing something inadvisable and dangerous? Why do you think I'm here?"

"Because Granny is busy and Victor comatose and you couldn't find Will anywhere?" he suggested.

"And maybe I'm exactly where I want to be," I said with my brightest smile and without wasting any more time headed for the room filled with hats where I was spending most of my nights ever since my missing year stopped being a mystery. Thinking of Archie suspecting me from having no life and improvising my way through my days I had to smile. He had no idea how long term my plans really were – and neither did anyone else, which was exactly how I wanted to keep it.

"Did you ever consider you're trying too hard?" he asked from the doorway, finding me already seated and doing my best not to stab myself with a needle. Which was something I happened to be very good at. Good thing I never pissed off Maleficent – putting me under a sleeping curse would be ridiculously easy.

"No. _You_ said I can make it work," I reminded gesturing at the hat in my hands. "And that's exactly what I'm going to do… soon… I got some extra motivation today."

"Did you?"

"I saw Lucifer. My mother's demon cat," I said with smile that was a little too wicked. "I don't know how he got into town, but… guess who's going through the first portal…?"

He sighed and took a seat, looking at me in nearly disapproving way. But there was nothing he could really say, since this was all his fault. I would never even consider getting involved in something as dangerously close to magic as portal jumping appeared to be, if he didn't mention that there might be just the slightest chance that I could. Make it work that is.

Which was not his only mistake. Mentioning it to me while I was still mostly immobile, recovering and not happy about it was the second one. Giving me something to do with my free time besides driving everyone mad with my constant attempts to sneak myself out of bed and go for a stroll in the woods must have seem such a good idea at the time.

The worst of it was that he was right. I did have it in me – that mysterious ingredient that could make turn an ordinary piece of headgear into something spinning inexplicably and producing scary amounts of purple mist. I might have been short on the ability to focus it properly, true, but I was trying. There was no chance I was going to give up…

"There is no chance you're going to…"

"No. I told you… I have a demon cat to get rid of," I said, almost seriously. "Not to mention that we have about a day before some new villain shows up. Wouldn't you prefer to have a plan B, in case it will be too much for Charmings to handle?"

"Do we really call them Charmings now?"

"We do," I confirmed. And went back to work, knowing he was just trying to distract me.

"Just tell me," he said in the end, trying the direct approach. "_Why _does it matter so much now that there is no witch around?"

"Because I need it to work. I _need_ it," I said, letting a small smile slip on my face as I heard footsteps near the door. "To find my true love."

"To find _what_…?"

"Who is it?" asked Grace crossing the distance between us in record time. "No wait, let me guess… You need portal so he's from some faraway land…"

"He is," I admitted, keeping my expression very serious. "It's called… _Gotham_."

There was an endless second of silence that ended in giggles. The kind only twelve-year-old can produce.

"Isn't it past your bedtime?" I asked when she quieted.

"You're the one to talk…"

"I'm a grown-up," I reminded. Secretly hoping she didn't hear the part where I said I was doing it because a cat kept looking at me in a waz that made me positive it was planning to murder me.

I let her stay, though. Looking at me unblinkingly while waiting for something magic to happen was something that would bore her eventually… especially since there was a pretty big pile of perfectly ordinary hats next to my chair.

I could blame that on how the magic didn't work quite as well in this world, but… actually I couldn't. This wasn't about magic and I knew it.

_Magic is what you use when you can't get the real thing_, as it was explained to me. What made the whole thing all the more frustrating because I did. I had a terminal case of wanderlust long before I first heard of seven league boots or magical mirrors that led into a certain land of nightmares. And that should be enough. It _was_ enough, back home. The first few hats I made might not have been quite functional, but they did spin on their own. And I was getting better, judging by the amounts of purple mist and other special effects.

And then the curse hit…

"Would you mind very much if I said it out loud?" he asked after Grace finally left.

"I would," I said, not raising my eyes. I threw another hat on the pile, starting a minor avalanche.

"You can try for the next thousand nights and you still won't make it work," he said anyway. I ignored him too busy trying to stop the bleeding from my pricked finger. "Not here."

"What do you mean _not here_? It's not like Ella will let me get a hat room of my own."

"Not in Storybrooke. Because you don't want to leave…"

I dropped everything after that little remark and just looked at him.

"Not even trying to deny it. Interesting."

"I can't leave, so what does it matter what I want?" I said, picking my words most carefully.

"So if we woke up back in enchanted forest tomorrow, you wouldn't be disappointed," he said, not buying it for a second.

"Not much. I do miss having a butler…" I sighed.

"Of course you do…"

"If you want to get rid of me," I said, just in case that was what all of this was about.

"I don't."

"Good. Because I need this," I said, dropping my eyes and picking up the unfinished hat again. "It helps me think. No, that's not right… it helps me not to think about the wrong things. It helps me forget that all I really do in this town is killing time waiting for something horrible happen, giving me some purpose again. Helps me forget that I should have things figured out by now and I really, _really _don't…"

"Welcome to the club," he said, picking one of the half-finished hats himself.

"And let's never admit it in front of Will. I have to be grow-up around him," I sighed. "Though, maybe that's what it means. Knowing you're supposed to pretend you have things figured out, especially when you don't."

"That sounded like Wonderland logic."

"I know," I nodded, realizing it myself only seconds later. "I was thinking about that. Maybe I should go and take a look…"

"You really shouldn't," he said, meaning it. And that was that.

"Fine, not Wonderland. But we _are_ getting out of here eventually. And then," I smiled dreamily, "I'm going to go places."

"Like Gotham?"

"Like… Agrabah. I always wanted to see Agrabah."

"That's only slightly better. And the sand gets everywhere."

That made me stop what I was doing. Because I remembered something.

"Tell me a story," I said.

"What?"

"Oh, you know what I mean. Tell me about somewhere magical and strange. That used to help."

"It still won't make you want to leave Storybrooke," he pointed out.

"I know. Tell me anyway."

He did. Making me realize that Blue was completely wrong about magic. It _did_ work here. At least some kinds did.

"Maybe you _should_ try it again," he said after a moment. "Your eyes went all sparkly."

"I thought we only used that word on fairies… and vampires," I grinned. But I did pick up a needle with my swollen, slightly bloody fingers and gave it another try. And it did seem to be going a little better. My thoughts were running in all the right directions for a while, and when I tried the finished product it did spin a little longer than seemed normal.

"Interesting," Jefferson said, examining it.

"I am _so_ getting rid of that cat," I smiled, pleased with myself.

"First we're getting rid of Ingrid."

"Who's Ingrid. No, let me guess… evil ex?"

"The ice-cream lady," he explained. And for some reason I felt a sudden chill remembering her with her bit too friendly smile. "I don't know what she wants, but it can't be anything good. She's a proper psycho…"

I really tried, but there was no way I could _not_ start laughing at that.

"Sorry. It's just…" I said, trying to keep it down, since I was pretty sure Grace was asleep by now. "Coming from you, that's a bit…"

"Try again," he told me, when I mostly recovered from my outburst. "Make it work."

So I did. Forgetting that I was slightly sleepy myself and that I did not really want to leave this town. Forgetting everything around me, including the fact that this was not magic. It felt like it, though. It must have been, at least a little bit, since nothing else could make me forget the pain in my fingers… this messy fairytale I was living… and whatever was that bright light coming from the direction of Zelena's house…

"Did you sleep at all?" surprised me question from the doorway what felt like minutes later. Though it might have been a little longer…

I looked at Grace over my shoulder and then, checked my phone and found out that it was few minutes after seven. And I had about hundred missed calls.

"_There is something weird happening at the edge of town. You better not be there, poking it with a stick,_" I read the message I got from Will. "What did I miss?" I frowned.

But that was only a rhetorical question, since I found myself not really caring. Let Charmings deal with that kind of things, I had better things to do.

"What do you think you're doing…?"

"Just one more. Come on, I almost had it this time," I begged, trying to reach the hat he took from me. In the end I had to jump over table, and thanks to my sleepless night I was not coordinated enough to make that element of surprise count.

"Don't even think about it. You look ready to drop."

"I'm fine," I said, making another launch for the hat.

In the end I lost, though. I was sent home, to be interrogated over breakfast by Ella most likely, and I was pretty sure certain furry sociopath would follow me through the woods.

"I'll be back," I promised when I was showed to the door. Not managing to sound as sinister as I planned to, since I pretty much yawned it.

"I know," was the answer I got. And it did not sound half as annoyed as it should.

"Tonight," I added.

"Can't wait."

I grinned and turned to leave, feeling anything but sleepy. Feeling like stopping by Archie's place on my way back, to tell him his services were no longer required. I felt incredibly sane today.

"Even you can't ruin my day," I said to the feral noises making Lucifer that jumped from behind a tree and started following me. "Not today. Today I'm going places…"

… or so I thought.

And then, after I woke up from my much needed nap, there was suddenly an ice-wall surrounding the town. _Not_ the worst of it. The worst was the look certain cat sitting right outside my window gave me, after seeing my half-amused, half-resigned expression.

"One of those days, isn't it?" said Ella, when she found me starring daggers at Lucifer.

"Why do you sound so calm about it?" I said, studying her expression curiously. She only smiled at me and summed it all up in one word.

"Storybrooke…"

And just like that, I was ready to admit that staying here seemed like a good idea even before it became mandatory. Not out loud, though. Out loud I only started threatening the cat. Because it _was_ one of those days…

And fact that there were more just behind the corner made me smile and keep smiling until my face hurt.

"This town…" I said, shaking my head. This town was mess and not good for me, but… _But_ I was certain I could make it work.


End file.
